team building events

It’s almost spring! With the weather heating up, it’s time to open up the windows, clear out all the clutter and let your house sparkle.

We have 12 tips and tricks to make your spring cleaning in the kitchen successful and less stressful.

Gather all of your supplies together first thing. Trying to sort through the pantry cabinet for your oven cleaner might make you frustrated enough to declutter the cabinet. It’s easy to forget what your initial goal was.

Stainless steel is prone to stains from heat and hard water. To polish it up, apply white vinegar with a soft cloth and rub. Always dry thoroughly after washing to prevent a film from forming.

To rescue a burned pot, cover the burned material with a thick layer of baking soda, add a small amount of water and let it sit overnight.

To clean coffee filter reservoirs, run a mix of water and white vinegar through a cycle. Pause it halfway through, let it sit for about an hour, then resume the cycle. Then, run a few cycles with just water before brewing a fresh pot of coffee.

Sanitize your cutting board with hydrogen peroxide or vinegar. To protect the surface, condition the wood with mineral oil.

Clear out expired condiments and mystery foods from the refrigerator, then sweep and mop under the fridge.

To deep-clean the microwave, mix vinegar and water together in a bowl, set the microwave for about 10 minutes and wipe down. The steam will loosen debris and deodorize.

To de-stink the garbage disposal, run a few lemon rinds through the disposal and follow with cold water to dispel any sour odors.

To keep tiny bugs out of your pantry, try taping whole dried bay leaves to the sides and bottoms of your shelves.

To kill germs on your sponges, simply place in the microwave for two minutes.

Finally, remember to block out a whole day – not just a few hours – to do a proper spring cleaning. The entire process will more than likely take you longer than you plan for, but it’s better to get it entirely out of the way than having to deal with it later.

Last week, Chef Jodi attended an Italian wine tasting at San Diego’s Solare restaurant hosted by her friend, Winemaker Lorenzo Scarpone. There, she tasted a variety of delicious wines being showcased by the dozens of wine representatives, and learned how to pair each one with different menu items.

An extra bonus was local fishmonger, Tommy Gomes, of Catalina Offshore, who carved a 105-pound opah fish, which was served later that evening after the winetasting.

All in all, it was a fun and informative event, and Chef Jodi left with new wine knowledge, as well as an entire case of Italian wine – all to be used in our upcoming team-building and cooking challenges!

*This tahini sauce is so delicious and flexible that you’ll want to pour it over everything! This new sauce also pairs well with eggplant, lentils and warm winter salads. You can also smear the tahini sauce over salmon and roast, the possibilities are endless as it’s a wonderful mouthful of flavor….

Looking to stay in this Valentine’s Day? Skip the crowds and the over-priced restaurant fare and prepare your own meal! Use our menu below for some inspiration — and give your loved one a Valentine’s Day he or she won’t soon forget!

Beets can be found in the product aisle year-round, but the season for these root vegetables is right now!

Fresh beets are a staple in our kitchen, due to their earthy flavor and meaty texture. Plus, they are an excellent source of folate, as well as dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C – making them an obvious choice to incorporate into our recipes!

When selecting, choose small to medium-sized globes with firm, smooth skin. Freshest beets will still have its leaves attached, and the foliage should be green – not brown or wilted. Once you’ve selected your beets, store them in a produce bag in the coldest part of your fridge for up to two weeks. As soon as they turn soft, however, throw them out.

Below are two recipes that will incorporate these root vegetables into your diet. Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and there’s no better time than now to start polishing up on your wine and chocolate knowledge!

But, pairing these two aphrodisiacs can be challenging, since both have heightened levels of flavanols (antioxidants) which, when put together, can clash on your palate and lead to a bitter aftertaste.

Thankfully, we’re here to share some tips on how to successfully couple these two together!

Milk Chocolate

Usually about half chocolate and half cream, milk chocolate contains a lower percentage of liquor than dark chocolate, giving it a sweeter flavor and creamier texture. Because of its sweetened taste, it will go best with a sweeter wine.

Try:

A lighter Pinot Noir or a medium-bodied Merlot will work well with the smooth character and cocoa butter components of milk chocolate

Riesling or other dessert wines

Also consider a sparkling wine or Champagne for pairing with milk-chocolate dipped fruits

Dark Chocolate

The polyphenols in dark chocolate are similar to those in wine, giving both a somewhat bitter taste. Thus, dark chocolates call for a wine that offers a fuller body.

Try:

Zinfandels, with their dense fruit and often higher alcohol levels, pair exceptionally well with dark chocolate

Cabernet Sauvignon

Also consider a Pinot Noir or a Merlot to handle dark chocolate around the 55% cocoa mark

White Chocolate

White chocolate isn’t technically a “true” chocolate because it doesn’t contain cacao (the brown part with all the flavanols), but it is the sweetest and mildest of all the varieties of chocolate. Composed of cocoa butter, milk and sweeteners, this chocolate-like sweet goes best with sweeter styles of Sherry and Moscato d’Asti.

Also try:

Zinfandels, since their tannin content softens under the chocolate’s fat profile and brings the ripe fruit undertones right to the surface

We kicked off our 10-year anniversary this month by welcoming a local, for-profit organization into our kitchen!

Apex Fun Run, an organization that partners with schools to raise funds for equipment and other campus needs, brought sixteen of its team members to partake in one of our critically acclaimed corporate cooking challenges.

The evening began with our signature olive oil competition and was then followed by team members splitting into groups and selecting a dish to prepare. A head chef was appointed to manage each team, and team members chose to either help prepare the recipe or to help produce a 90-second infomercial showcasing their assigned dish. Many laughs were had in the process, and all of Apex’s team members enjoyed the delicious food and great company – all while taking in the view overlooking Mt. Soledad in La Jolla.

Later that week, we hosted ID Analytics, a leading software company in credit and fraud risk solutions. The company brought in 16 of its team members as a way to thank them for their hard work over 2017.

Just like those at Apex Fun Run, the ID Analytics team split up into groups and prepared their assigned dish. Everyone had a great time cooking and collaborating, and the Chocolate Melting Cakes were a huge hit!

Said team member Anna Fisher, “We had a wonderful team building event! A great way to mix up day-to-day interactions and learn some new skills! A really wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Thank you for your hospitality!”

Thanks to both Apex Fun Run and ID Analytics for visiting our kitchen! Hope to see you again soon!

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Meet Jodi Abel

Jodi Abel is a self-taught chef, author and team building expert, residing in La Jolla, California. When she’s not sharing her love of food with her guests at Lajollacooks4u, she’s cooking her way around the world to bring exciting new farm-to-table recipes home to California.
To learn more about Lajollacooks4u, visit www.Lajollacooks4u.com.

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Testimonials

"Jodi and her team are amazing! First, I showed up expecting to have to help and she insisted I enjoy myself and let her team handle all the details. They way they handled everything from determining teams, to the activity itself, to the judging, this was beyond my expectations. I HIGHLY recommend LaJollaCooks4u to anyone looking for a unique and memorable experience." - Jenni Hasti, Tritech

"Best cooking class we have ever attended! I learned some great cooking tips, consumed some lovely wines and shared a delightful meal all the superb guidance of Chef Jodi and her amazing, wonderful staff!"
- Karen & Scott Stone, Coldwell Banker